


wishes

by sundrymunity



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Canon Divergence, Gen, Spoilers for Endgame, happy birthday my boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 03:16:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11072928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sundrymunity/pseuds/sundrymunity
Summary: the phantom thieves will take any excuse to party





	wishes

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday goro!! may whatever spinoffs and extendeds atlus has planned treat you well

Year after year, the second of June was a lonely affair; the year he meets and later betrays the Phantom Thieves is no different, lights off when he unlocks his apartment, the crinkle of a plastic bag the only sound as he silently toes off his shoes and closes the door. Minutes later he's resting on his knees, watching the candle flames flicker in the darkness of his residence, shadows dancing across the wall, empty despite the smile on his face and hum of a song, counting the years under his breath.

Mechanically he blows out the candles and sends his surroundings into darkness, not a single wish curling upward with the smoke as he cuts around them and takes a piece for himself, sitting at a desk in his room and eating the rich dessert thoughtlessly as he does work.

A year later, games behind him, Goro expects it'll be the same regardless of the relationships he's unsteadily fostered around himself ( _Chariot, Lovers, Priestess, Magician, Hermit, Emperor, Empress, Justice,_ a voice alike his own murmurs in the back of his mind, Metaverse and Persona gone yet lingering all the same) and buys himself a cake as usual, trodding home under oppressive heat with loneliness carving out veins in his mood. It'll be dark as usual, quiet as usual, the door gives way as usual--

Wait.

He pauses in turning his key, realizing that it's... been unlocked, somehow, and he wonders if his mind simply left him this morning; he _had_ been rather preoccupied earlier, so that must be it.

The sound of a thud dispells rational thought against home intruders and Goro presses his lips tight, hand drawing away from the knob and he steps back, plastic crinkling hard in his grip. He pulls out his phone, ready to call the police, when the door opens and _Ann's_ head pops out, eyes just as wide as his own.

"Oh. Oh! Oh, Akechi-kun, you're-- you're earlier than we-- um, I expected!" She's clearly flustered, laughter stilted, and his wariness at being robbed turns its head to questioning what, exactly, she and _possibly_ the others were doing in his apartment.

He doesn't question how they got in, of course. Picking locks was something that translated better tha parkour.

"Ann, what the hell're you-- oh _shit_ , Akechi!" Ryuji's joined them now and Goro's smile pinches more, especially once he glances down and sees Futaba, Morgana, and Yusuke crouched like statues watching from below their legs. Makoto and Haru join a moment later, all but the illustrious leader present, and he breathes in deeply.

Lets it out slowly, easing irritation and leaving only confusion in its wake when he opens his mouth to ask--

"Oh," Akira's voice jerks their heads down the way Goro'd come originally, two bags in hand. "You got a cake too."

Goro opens his mouth, closes it, then shakes his head. "I always buy myself one, but... that aside, everyone, what _are_ you all doing here?"

"We're gonna celebrate your birthday, duh!" Futaba pipes up from her place in between Morgana and Yusuke. "Wasn't that hard to find, but _man_ it could've been easier. Why didn't you ever say it in interviews? Save me some trouble!"

"I, ah, was never comfortable giving it out, so frankly I'm surprised to..." He pauses, another realization dawning on him. "I never told you where I lived."

Ann grins. "Futaba's not our info specialist for nothing, Akechi-kun!"

That's... _fair_ , if disturbing, and he sighs. "Inside, I suppose. I've already accidentally ruined the surprise this party was supposed to be."

"Indeed. You should have either come in or stayed away until someone came to fetch you," Yusuke replies, tone more factual than scolding, and Goro laughs sheepishly.

They all file back in and he sighs, turning his head as Akira comes beside him. "Was this your idea?"

"Surprisingly? No. It was everyone else's." And the smile he gives is honest enough, a little apologetic and the rest pleased as a cat. "I didn't know until I got a text from Makoto about it a couple days ago."

"What short notice..." Goro shakes his head, smile brightening; today he feels it too, warmth in his chest and a surprising lightness to the rest of him. "I... Thank you for coming, I suppose?"

Akira's smile widens, moving one bag to his other hand so he can push Goro inside. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

It's all so-- so _nice_ , for a simple word. The lights are on. There's voices besides his own, besides the TV's. The smell of food and two cakes waiting their turn on the counter, one pristinely white and the other a rich chocolate. It's... all too much, honestly, it's overwhelming in a _good_ way, more than he could even remember it being when he was a child.

It's Haru who sees him closing up against the onslaught of niceties, before he even realizes it himself, and suggests they do cake before it gets too late. Goro's thankful for the attention being off him for a moment, Ryuji and Yusuke debating which one to use, and Morgana suggests both; one can be for Akira, who's birthday is a few days from now.

There's a length of silence before the room explodes into noise.

"What the hell, dude?!"

"Akira, you should've said something!"

"I agree. This is an oversight that must be--"

"Guys, guys, it's no big deal," the center of attention looks good on Akira today and Goro bites the inside of his cheek, humming softly as he leans over to Futaba.

"You knew, didn't you?"

She snorts as her answer and he laughs, the fullness of it surprising himself and quieting the interrogation instigated by Ryuji, Ann, and Yusuke. Goro's smile is one he barely feels, leaning on his hand. "I get the one you bought, Akira-kun."

Two cakes are dressed for the occassion, eighteen candles on one and nighteen on the other, and Goro tucks his hair behind his ear as he leans towards the rich chocolate, staring past the flickers of flames to Akira on the other side with the ice cream cake. Akira's grin curls into a smirk and he closes his eyes; after a moment Goro does the same, trying to think of a wish.

He's never had a real use for them. Could always make them come true himself, never saw a point to this part of the birthday ritual, but one digs itself into the back of his mind and it leaves his lips with a silent exhale, curling upward with grey smoke. Akira's joins his a second later and there's claps all around, hands reaching to cut slices of both and pass them out.

Presents are for Goro only, since _someone_ never mentioned the closeness of their birthdays, and he picks through each one like it's a treasure all its own: From Ryujj there's a boxset of manga he swears is right up Goro's alley, and frankly it looks it; Ann gives him some fashionable clothing she says'll be in magazines next week, claiming they'll suit him; from Yusuke comes a peculiar painting that features many colors and all of them swirling, dipping in and out of each other as he explains that this is, at the moment, Goro himself: tangled but visible all the same, working to become something.

He's not sure he likes how well it works.

Makoto's gifts are from her and Sae both: a scarf more fitting for winter and sunglasses appropriate for summer; Futaba's is a new laptop, smaller for ease of transport, so he doesn't have an excuse not to stay at Leblanc. He laughs and promises to come around, then, and work on his college papers there. The gift Haru sets in his lap is unwrapped, filled with dirt and featuring the nub of some kind of plant poking out of the fertilizer.

"It's a kind of cactus, so you won't have to worry about it too much, but..." She trails off and Goro nods, speaking up before she can continue.

"I'll take very good care of it, Haru-chan. Don't worry."

Her smile's bright enough to act as the sun itself.

Goro looks expectantly at Morgana, who stretches and shrugs. "I'm a cat, I don't have anything for you."

His chuckle is cut short by the other hopping into his lap, though, careful not to knock over the pot in Goro's hands as he leans up to rub against his cheeks and whisper his present. "Don't forget, you're part of this now. Once a thief, _always_ a thief; I'm proud to call you an ally."

And then he hops away, back to Ann's lap with a pleased look on his face. Goro's cheeks are warm and hurt from smiling, just a bit, and he looks up at Akira, who's leaning against the back of the sofa.

"Would you believe me if I said me being here was your present?"

"Cheapskate!" Futaba hisses.

"As long as you don't make a habit of using that excuse, I'll accept it." Goro smiles up at him and laughs when Ryuji and Ann protest his calmness about the lack of a real present, snorting when Yusuke makes a comment at the lack of leaderly dignity and Akira's smugness falls away into disbelief.

"I spent all my money coming here and getting the cake and stuff," he tries to say, but the others gang up on him anyway. Makes him swear to send Goro something once he's home, makes him _pinky promise_ never to pull that on anyone else's birthday, and Goro's chest is so filled with _something_ he likes it spills out in tears, watering the plant with a few drops before Ann points it out and he ducks his head down.

"Ah, I'm fine, I..." A shake of his head, wiping his eyes and keeping them to the pot, embarrassment burning the back of his neck. "Thank you for... this. I don't think I've ever had such a lively party before."

There's a moment of silence he's sure is filled with shared looks between the rest of them and then there's arms enclosing on all sides, not as suffocating as he thought it'd be.

"Get used to it, 'cause it's gonna be like this for the rest of your life!" Ryuji declares, and Ann's quick to back him up.

"If there's something we like more than showing up rotten adults, it's partying!"

Makoto's words are quieter, but as amused as he feels. "It's true. They'll take _any_ excuse to have a party."

"My apologies," he whispers back.

"Sure as can be, Akechi, you have become one of us." Yusuke's words are objectively pleased. "As such, when figuring in food costs--"

"Shut up, Inari! Don't spend so much money on stupid art supplies if you can't feed yourself!"

"It would seem you are rich in salt, Futaba."

"Say that when there isn't a wall of people between us and see if you regret it."

Haru's voice pipes up. "Don't mind them, Akechi-kun, they'd be happy to have you around even if you didn't lower the cost of party funds."

Goro chuckles, resting his chin on _someone's_ arm. "So you say. They certainly are more welcoming now."

"So're you," Akira replies from directly beside him. "I can't imagine doing this with you a year ago."

"We didn't know him a year ago," Morgana points out, pressing into Goro's stomach with his own kind of hug. "But now we do, and as an apology for not finding you sooner, Akechi, we should go out for sushi-- _Mreow!_ "

Ryuji's squeezed his hand through the mass of the hug to push on Morgana's head, yelping when Goro feels movement and the cat darts out with claws still drawn.

They unwrap themselves from him after that but linger close anyway, and Goro leans his head back when fingers skirt the nape of his neck. Akira smiles at him.

"Having fun?"

"More than I thought I would," he replies, easing back into the sofa. "What did you wish for? When you blew out your candles... I mean, _if_ you did, I suppose it's rather childish to do that kind of--"

"It came true."

"... Pardon?"

Akira's smile tips higher into a grin, eyes sparkling with happiness as fondness as he glances around, lowering his voice; it comes out as warm breath against his ear and he can't stop the heat in his cheeks even before the answer registers. "I wished for you to have the best birthday."

"That's-- You shouldn't waste your wish on something for someone else, Akira-kun," but his chiding is happy and pleased enough that the other just chuckles.

"Wishes are best used on other people. Besides, you didn't make yours _just_ for yourself either, did you?"

Goro sucks his bottom lip to keep from smiling, shaking his head. "I suppose not. I had selfish intentions in mind," as always, but it's appropriate today, "but it _does_ benefit everyone else. I'm certain it'll come true as well."

Akira nods, a knowing look in his eye, and Goro's glad they seem to share an understanding on what it could be, what it _was_ ; it was nice to have someone like that, who didn't need words.

The party winds down as food is eaten, cake finished, but none of them leave; they stay overnight despite Goro's warnings about the lack of futons and he joins them despite it too, stretching out at the edge and enjoying having only Morgana curled into his side.

He looks back on his wish, how he'd like for days like this to continue, and surrounded by friends, with people he belongs with, thinks that it's bound to come true over and over again.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!!


End file.
